Dog Mountain

*As of spring 2018 Permits are required Saturdays & Sundays from March 31 to July 1 for each individual using the Dog Mountain Trail System. The system includes Dog Mountain Trail (#147 and #147C), Dog Augspurger Tie Trail #147A, and the lower portion of Augspurger Trail #4407. Hikers on the system will be required to carry a hard copy permit or electronic proof of purchase.For more info click here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/crgnsa/fire/?cid=FSEPRD572962

Dog Mountain is technically in Washington, not Oregon, but it is being mentioned because it is just a stone’s throw across the Columbia River from Oregon and it makes for an epic spring hike.The trailhead is extremely easy to find and it is very large to accommodate the huge number of people who do this hike every year. The best time to go is in May and early June when all of the wildflowers are blooming on the hillside. During wildflower season be prepared to see hundreds of hikers!​

I don’t think most people know that this can be a loop hike. We saw significantly more people heading up than we did heading down the other way. You will start the loop by going to the east side of the parking lot. It appears that there is no pit toilet at all here, so a lot of people have used the woods by the parking lot (it is littered with toilet paper and trash), however if you head a few hundred yards up the hill on the trail, you will see the pit toilet as well as a trash can.​The trail starts off with 9 small switchbacks which is a brutal warm-up! After this .5 mile warm-up, you will see that the trail forks. They are both the Dog Mountain Trail, the one to the left is an older trail and it is primarily in the woods and it has less switchbacks. The newer trail to the right has more switchbacks, and this is where you start to have those epic views of the Columbia Gorge.

If you are hiking in May, you will see yellow Balsamroot flowers blooming all over the hill. You will continue on this very open section of trail for 2.5 miles. There are quite a few longer switchbacks and the trail here is pretty steep. But with every switchback you make, you get a view of the amazing Columbia Gorge below. You can actually make this a 3 mile hike if you wanted to stop and turn around at the first lower viewpoint.​

​When you think you’re at the top you come to a trail sign where the trail makes a Y. You can head .1 miles to the very top of Dog Mountain where you can sit on some rocks and take in the view, or take shelter amongst some trees if it is windy. Or you can just enjoy the view from where the sign is, and then continue on the loop that takes you back down.

(Photo of Dog Mountain in early June by Derek from Digital Grin)

The back side of the loop is nice because it is less traveled and you get a different kind of landscape than what you saw at the beginning. At first you travel towards the backside of the mountain a bit on the ridge. After 1.1 miles you will see a split in the trail. You will want to take the 2.8 mile trail back to Dog Mtn. trailhead. The other trail would take you to Augsberger Mountain.

The west side of Dog Mountain is much more lush with green ferns and lots of trees. After heading down a few of the last switchbacks, you will find 2.7 miles of steady downhill. Going down this way is much easier on the knees and ankles. Keep this in mind…every year there are at least 3 rescues that happen, from hikers hurting themselves on Dog Mountain! ​

(Poison Oak)

When you come around the SW side of Dog Mountain, the scenery changes once again. Here there are small oak trees and the hillside is covered in poison oak (be careful!) Through the trees, you will catch glimpses of the neighboring hills and the Gorge. The trail spits you out right into the parking lot, a few hundred feet from where you started the hike.​

Overall, this is NOT an easy hike! You will have to be in semi-decent shape to be able to do this hike, as it is very steep. If you are hiking in summer especially, bring lots of water as this area is very dry and windy and you can get dehydrated quite easily. If you plan on doing this hike, you should be wearing sturdy footwear, because it is easy to turn an ankle when going down steep terrain. This is one of the most iconic views of the Columbia Gorge, so I highly recommend you go check it out, especially in May and June!

Directions: From Portland drive I-84 to Cascade Locks (exit 44) and take the Bridge of the Gods across the Columbia River (bridge toll is $1 each way). Turn right on Washington Highway 14 for 12 miles. Between milepost 53 and 54 turn into the large Dog Mountain parking lot.​*As of spring 2018 Permits are required Saturdays & Sundays from March 31 to July 1 for each individual using the Dog Mountain Trail System. The system includes Dog Mountain Trail (#147 and #147C), Dog Augspurger Tie Trail #147A, and the lower portion of Augspurger Trail #4407. Hikers on the system will be required to carry a hard copy permit or electronic proof of purchase.For more info click here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/crgnsa/fire/?cid=FSEPRD572962

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*All pictures unless otherwise marked are taken by Franziska Weinheimer

*Disclaimer: the trail descriptions, mileage, GPS tracks and difficulty ratings depicted on this website are never 100% accurate. Always hike at your own risk, using your own knowledge, equipment and common sense. Franziska Weinheimer/Hike Oregon are not responsible if you or anyone in your party gets injured or lost while attempting one of these or any other hikes.